Toy building construction



Nov. 21, 1961 L. B. GOGlNS TOY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 15, 1957 A z 4 z 4 I, z 4 f z z LAIRD B. GOGINS, INVENTOR.

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TOY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 15, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LAIRD B.GOGINS, INVENTOR.

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&009183 Patented Nov. 21 1961 3,009,283 TUY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION LairdB. Gogins, 320 Sth Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah Filed Oct. 15, 1957, Ser.No. 690,233 6 Claims. (CI. 46-26) This invention relates to buildingConstruction useful as a toy for children, and is concerned, also, witha method of constructing toys from paperboard milk containers or boxesof the type commonly employed in the retail marketing of milk.

Paperboard milk containers have come into widespread use in recentyears. They are ordinarily thrown away when empty, but, due to theirsubstantially rectangular parallelepipedon configuration, they arepotentially useful as 'building blocks for children. Yet, little or nouse has been made of such containers for this purpose in the past,probably because they are quite light and insubstantial when empty,which makes it difficult to achieve any structural solidity in assembledformation, and also because they have outwardly projecting formations ofone kind or another at at least their upper ends, which tend to interfere with snug positioning of the containers relative to one another.

The principal object of this invention is to enable convenient andefiective utilization of emp-ty paperboard milk containers as buildingblocks by children in the Construction of a variety of toy buildings andother play structures. v

Another object of the invention is to provide an effective way to romotethe sale of milk and cream or other beverages in paperboard containers,as against other types of containers not susceptible to use as buildingblocks for children. In this connection, it is contemplated that thecontaine's will be imprinted with a variety of architectural or otherrepresentations Component to building construction or to structures ofother types.

An outstanding feature of the iuvention is the securement of juxtaposedcontainers or boxes of this type to one another by removable clips whichengage at least one of the assembled containers by clipping on aprojecting part at an end of the container and providing at least partof a frictional receiving bed or seat 'for another container.

While, from a generic standpoint, various forms of clips may be employedin the constructon process, the detailed nature of the clips in anygiven instance depends somewhat upon the structural characteristics ofthe particular containers involved. However, `a unique clip constructionprovides one aspect of the invention.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of the prcsently preferredembodiments illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

in the drawings:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a partially constucted toybuilding conorming to the invention in which a ridge and gab le style ofmilk carton or box is utilized along with a unique type of clip;

FIG. 2, a similar perspective view drawn to a somewhat enlarged scalewith -certain of the cartons or boxes removed and others shownfragmentarily to reveal details, including the manner in which the clipsmay be hooked together to form a rigid bridgirg or platform structure;

FIG. 3, a fragmentary elevation taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, a perspective view of one of the clips of FIGS. 1 and 2, drawnto a considerably enlarged scale.

Referring now to the drawings:

In the ernbodiment of FIGS. 1-4, one common type of paperboard milkcontainer, carton, or box 10 of rectangular parallelepipedonconfiguration having a ridgcd and gabled top which includes a centralridge 11 and mutually opposite gables 12, respectively, interconnectedby sloping su-rfaces 13, are juxtaposed relative to one another inbuilding construction fornation. The ridge 11, it should be noted,provides the projecting part mentioned hereinbefore for engagement by anattachment clip.

While ordinary milk cartons may be utilized, it is preferred that theinvention be employed in connection with special sales promotion plansby dairies, pursuant to which the cartons are specally imprinted withrepresentations of `architectural components of building construction,for example, with the windowed wall representations 14 and structuralcourse wall representations 15, so that the cartons will have specialsignificance as toy 'building blocks.

The cartons 10 may be juxtaposed in various ways and in any desirednumber, thereby making possible the planning and building of structuresof many different types. By the imprinting of suitable representationson the walls of the cartons, not only buildings, but many other itemsmay be constructed, as is readily apparent.

A special type of clip 16 developed for the purpose is employed tosecure the juxtaposed cartons 10 in assembled formation. Such clips arepreferably cut and bent to formation from stiflly resilient sheetmaterial, such as tin plate, by a suitable stamping operation inaccordance with known procedures.

Each of the clips 16, see particularly FIG. 4, has an elongate spinemember 17, from and along the length of which and at opposite sides ofwhich depend clip members 18. These clip members are arranged in pairsspaced apart longitudinally of the spine member 17, the component clipmembers of each pair being spaced apart across the width of the spinemember so as to snugly receive the ridge 11 of a carton 10 therebetweenin a close friction fit.

The two pairs of clip members 18 are spaced apart so as to snuglyreceive the width of the spine member 17 of another clip 16 therebetweenin a close fricton fit when face to face with the spine member 17 ofsuch receiving clip. As so arranged, it is possible to utlize such clip0 16 in cruciform formation as shown at the top of the forward left-handcarton 10 in FIG. 1, Where one of the clips 16 is clipped to a cartonridge 11 longitudinally thereof and the other clip 16 extendstransversely thereof, being clipped to both the carton ridge 11 and thespine member 17 of the first clip by their reception within thetransverse passage`19, FIG. 4, between the pairs of clip members 18.

Each clip 16 is also cut and bent to provide cross' members 20 and 21,respectively, extending transversely of the spine member 17 atrespectively opposite ends thereof, together with depending andupstanding finger members associated with such cross members 20 and 21.

The depending and upstanding finger members are arranged in sets acrossthe span of the spine member, the individual finger members of each setbeing spaced apart to comprehend and closely engage parts of individualcontainers or juxtaposed -containers in the Construction.

As here illustrated, the cross member 20 is considerably wider than thecross member 21, and its depending finger members include a pair offinger members 22 mutually spaced transversely of spine member 17 andbent back upwardly to provide respective tabs 22a facing the oppositeend of the clip. The depending finger members 23 of cross piece 21 arespaced apart transversely of spine 17 and face the depending fingermembers 22 in cooperative opposing relationship therewith, a fingermember 22 and a finger member 23 constituting Component members of a setso spaced and arranged as to comprehend juxtaposed ridges 11 ofjuxtaposed cartons in close friction fit (see the securement of thejuxtaposed cartons at the left-hand side of the upper course in FIG. l).It should be noted in this connection that the tabs 22a of fingermembers 22 provide for especially effective friction gripping due totheir resilient characteristics; however, their main purpose is toprovide pockets 22b for the reception of depending finger members 23,respectively, of an adjoining clip member, whereby a rigid bridging orplatform structure can be constructed, see especially FIG. 2.

Upstanding finger members 2 1 of cross member are spaced aparttransversely of spine 17 and face the opposite end of the clip, whileupstanding finger member of cross member 21 faces such finger members 24across the span of spine 17 to complete a set of finger members whosespacing is such as to provide a friction grip type of receiving seat forthe bottom 1051 of a superimposed carton 10, see FIGS. 1 and 2.

In order to enable face plates 26 to be Suspended from clips 16 inpositions covering either a gable 12 or a sloping surface 13 to provideexterior wall continuity for any building construction, suitable holdingformations are provided at opposite ends of each clip. Also, the faceplates 26 have their upper margins indentured in dovetail formation forthe purpose.

Such holding formations include a pair of inwardlynotched projections28, for receiving the outer ends of dovetails 26a as formed along theindentured top margin of a face plate 26. Such projections 28 arethereby capable of suspending and supporting a face plate 26 when calledfor. Also, an outwardly-notched projection 29 extends from the outer endof cross member 21, centrally thereof, for receiving the inner ends ofthe dovetails 2611, and for thereby suspending and supporting a faceplate at the opposite end of the clip When called for. It should benoted that the face plates 26 are advantageously cut from a wall of oneof the cartons 10, themselves.

For this purpose, it is preferred to include outlines 31 of such faceplates 26 in the printing of the architectural desgns 14 on lateralwalls of a carton. In this way, a face plate may be cut from one of thehidden walls of a carton 10 used in the building construction (see theaperture 32 in FIG. 2 where such a plate has been cut out) 01- one ormore cartons may be sacrificed entirely to provide a supply of such faceplates.

It will be noted that the outer end of cross member 20 is recessedinwardly at to accommodate the notched projection 29 of an adjoiningclip, see FIGS. 1 and 2, when such clips are interlocked by dependingfinger members 23 of one being fitted into the respective pockets 22bprovided by finger members 22 and their back-folded tab extensions 22a.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect tospecific embodiments thereof, it should be realized that changes may bemade within the scope of the following claims, without departing fromthe essential contributions to the art made by the teachings hereof.

I claim:

1. Toy building Construction, comprising a plurality of boxes, each ofwhich is of substantially rectangular parallelepipedon configurationhaving a top of ridge and gable formation, the ridge being capable ofreceiving an attachment clip, said boxes being juxtaposed relative toone another; and removable attachment clips securing said boxes togetherin their juxtaposed positions, each clip being clipped to the said ridgeof at least one box and receiving the bottom of another box infrictional inset, attaching relationship.

2. The construction of claim 1, wherein each attachment clip comprisesstifily resilient sheet material cut and bent to provide an elongatespine member having mutually opposed, relatively closely spaced,friction clip members depending from respectively opposite sides thereofto clip onto the ridge of a box and to provide transversely extendingcross members at respectively opposite ends of said spine member, eachof said cross members having depending and upstanding finger membersarranged in sets across the span of said spine member, individual fingermembers of a set of depending finger members being spaced apart so as tograsp juxtaposed ridges of juxtaposed boxes in close friction fit, andthe individual finger members of a set of upstanding finger membersbeing spaced apart to provide a friction-grip type of receiving seat forthe bottom of a superimposed box.

3. The Construction of claim 2, wherein another set of depending fingermembers extends along the spine of each attachment clip and has itsindividual finger members spaced apart so as to grasp one of the ridgesof said juxtaposed ridges.

4. The Construction of claim 3, wherein face plates are Suspended fromthe attachment clips to cover respective lateral recesses occurring atthe ridged and gabled tops of the juxtaposed cartons; and wherein theclips are provided with means for cngaging and securing said faceplates.

5. The Construction of claim 4, wherein the means for engaging andsecuring the face plates include notched projections at respectivelyopposite ends of each attachment clip.

6. The Construction of claim 5, wherein there are a pair ofinwardly-notched projections at the outer end of one cross member ofeach attachment clip, said projections being mutually spaced at oppositesides of the spine member, and there is a single outwardly-notchedprojection at the outer end of the other cross member intermediate thewidth thereof; and wherein each of the face plates has its upper marginindentured in dovetail formation adjacent the ends thereof and at themiddle thereof for engagement with said projections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

